Mick Jagger’s tumultuous history with Royal Family: Protocol breaches and romance claims

Mick Jagger says being in a band is 'friendship' not 'family'

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The frontman of rock band The Rolling Stones, who turns 79 today, was knighted in 2003 but not the praise that other rock stars have experienced. From Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson to fellow bandmates and reportedly even the Queen herself questioned not just the suggestion of his knighthood but his acceptance of the honour.

Sir Mick Jagger was knighted in 2003 by Prince Charles, a change in usual knighting procedures that sent rumours flying about the Queen’s absence.

While his anti-establishment views were well-known, it was reportedly his relationship with her sister that put Queen Elizabeth II on edge about the ceremony.

In 2012, The Daily Mail reported that the Queen believed Sir Mick was using her sister, late Princess Margaret, to climb social ranks and that he was a bad influence.

He was known to socialise with the Princess as they were close friends although whether they were ever romantically involved is unclear.

The publication also claimed the Queen’s only response to seeing Sir Mick’s name on the Honours list was “not suitable”.

Sir Mick had breached royal protocol many times during his encounters with the royal family.

Most notably, he was photographed at a dinner in 1991 shaking Prince Charles’ hand with his other hand in his pocket.

Additionally, the Daily Mail also reported he had once called Queen Elizabeth “chief witch”, further severing his ties with the royal family.

In the biography Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger, author Christopher Andersen claims that the Queen deliberately avoided the ceremony with Prince Charles fulfilling her duties instead.

The Queen was scheduled for a knee operation around the time of Jagger’s knighting ceremony, providing her with a legitimate reason to not attend.

Complicating the situation further, Sir Mick reportedly postponed the ceremony 10 times, finally being knighted by Prince Charles in December 2003, although the two were not on the best of terms either.

The Prince of Wales was reportedly suspicious of the singer’s intentions with the late Princess Diana in the 1980s as he was a well-known ladies’ man and she was reportedly a fan of his music.

It was then-Prime Minister Tony Blair who had put Sir Mick’s name forward, which he had allegedly been trying to do for five years before eventually succeeding.

Many musicians have been awarded the honour, but those edging on the side of alternative and underground genres have tended to turn down their awards.

This included Sir Mick’s bandmate Keith Richards, 78, and his friend David Bowie.

Both musicians also criticised the fact that Sir Mick had not done the same.

The dismay extended beyond Sir Mick’s inner circle, as former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson also publicly raged about the situation.

Clarkson has never hidden his music taste, and admitted that growing up he “loathed” The Rolling Stones.

He added that while his friends at the time would desperately try to sway his opinion, he remained set in his view.

Clarkson’s main issue with the knighthood was his alleged boasting “about being a tax exile”.

Sir Mick has never been known as a patriotic person, but the situation Clarkson was referring to was the band’s relocation to the south of France in 1971.

The singer has previously commented on the situation saying they decided to leave “to acquire enough money to pay the taxes”.

Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger is available here.

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